This invention relates generally to wreaths and, more particularly, to methods of attaching decorations to such wreaths.
Decorations, such as pine cones and ribbons, have long been attached to wreathes of evergreen branches. Originally, the decorations were held to the evergreen branches by means of wires or strings. The wires or strings were first wrapped around or tied to the decoration, and then wrapped around or tied to either the branches, or to the frame on which the branches were mounted to form the wreath. This method of attaching decorations to a wreath holds the decorations securely, but is time-consuming and involves considerable manual labor. In the modem marketplace, the difficulty of this method of attachment often results in higher turnover among assembly workers, thus increasing training time and the resultant overhead incurred by the wreath manufacturer.
The business of manufacturing wreathes is labor-intensive, and cost sensitive. To reduce the time spent by wreath-makers on attaching decorations, an alternative attachment method was once developed that included the use of a stick. In the alternative method, the decorations were attached to pointed sticks, and the sticks were then inserted into the wreath's branches. This method was much faster than the original technique, but did not connect the decorations as securely to the wreath. The sticks to which the decorations were attached often slid out from among the wreath's branches as easily as they slid in. The insecurity of the "stick" method of attachment is particularly problematic in the modem marketplace, where wreaths are often assembled in a single manufacturing location and then shipped to a widely dispersed group of retail outlets. To avoid the duplication of effort caused by insecure attachment methods that often require retailers to reattach decorations to wreaths upon receipt at a retail outlet, modem wreath decorations must be capable of remaining attached to a wreath throughout extensive shipping and handling.